University of Pittsburgh

Overview

The University of Pittsburgh (also known as Pitts) is a foremost public research university in the Oakland neighborhood, about three miles from downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1787, Pitts is a member of the Association of America Universities, and it’s perennially ranked in the top echelon of United States public universities.

Its journey to its current status began when Hugh Henry Brackenridge formed the Pittsburgh Academy. The rapid growth of Pittsburgh city in early 1800, intensified the need for a university in the area. To meet the growing need, the Academy was chartered in 1819 as a proper private university and renamed the Western University of Pennsylvania.

In the late 1800s, the university faced what’s arguably its toughest period, exemplified by two devastating fires and multiple relocations. But, in 1908 the institution finally found a permanent home at its current location and was renamed the University of Pittsburgh by an act of the state legislature. By 1966, the University of Pittsburgh joined the Commonwealth System of Higher Education and ceased being a private university.

Since then the university has grown in leaps and bounds. At present, Pitts’ main campus sits on a 132-acre piece of land. In addition, it has regional campuses in Johnstown, Bradford, Greensburg, and Titusville; and multiple institutes and centers.

The University of Pittsburgh has 16 schools and colleges that offer high-quality academic programs, including certificate programs, undergraduate major/minor, masters, and doctoral programs. In total, the institution provides more than 40 majors and more than 50 minors, plus pre-professional and concentrations in a wide range of areas. Some of the most notable fields of study at Pitts include nursing, computer information systems and technology, athletic training, and broadcast communications.

The quality of its academic programs, as well as research achievements, makes the University of Pittsburgh a go-to institution for students from the U.S. and the entire world. Currently, the school is home to more than 23,000 full-time students and over 1,000 part-timers. There are more than 5,000 faculty members (including over 4,500 full-time members) and more than 6,900 university staff. Moreover, the university has a student/faculty ratio of 14:1, allowing them to maintain their high standard of education.

The University of Pittsburgh has over 330,000 alumni, the most notable of which include Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, Hollywood legend Gene Kelly, Novelist Micheal Chabon, MRI inventor Paul Lauterbur, and football icons Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett, and Mike Ditka.

In athletics, the University of Pittsburgh has 19 teams that take part in US collegiate competitions. The university football team has won nine national titles, which is the most wins by any major university program in the Eastern U.S. and sixth-highest overall. Besides, the men’s basketball team is a major competitor, having made 25 NCAA tournament appearances.